Azulon's Gambit
by stkichi
Summary: Fire Lord Sozin started a war the Fire Nation could not possibly win. When his nation looks to him for leadership; it is his son who emerges from his shadow.
1. Stand Behind Me

**Stand Behind Me**

 _10 AG_

"Prince Azulon."

The young prince opened his left eye slightly. The servants all knew how badly he hated to be interrupted during his meditation.

"This had better be urgent." He tried his best to make his ten-year-old voice as deep as possible.

The servant shot to the floor in a bow, his chest still heaving from apparent running. "My Prince, I must deeply apologize for-"

"Stop. You also know that I can't stand talking to people who won't show me their eyes." The servant rose slowly, still not used to such a strange command from royalty. "Thank you Azek. Continue please."

Azek flinched at being called by his own name, another strange quirk of Azulon. He knew everyone's names who roamed the palace. "Forgive me once more for forgetting. I only intruded because there is a War Council session tomorrow."

Azulon's eyes narrowed. "I know that. That still does not excuse you interrupting me."

Azek resisted the urge to lower his head again. "Forgive me once more my Prince. But… Fire Lord Sozin has not returned from his search yet this year."

He shot up immediately. "Why was I not informed of this earlier?"

"Forgive me, normally Fire Lord Sozin sends us a message with his intent to attend his yearly meeting only a few days prior to his arrival. The council members have grown worried that he will not be able to attend this year. They told me to inquire what you believe they should do if he were unable to attend."

Azulon's palms began to heat as he thought of his father. "You can tell me the truth Azek. The War Council knows that my father is too busy on his foolish search to care about the war."

The servant couldn't hold his head up this time. "The War Council would never dare insult the great Fire Lord Sozin."

"Not in front of me they wouldn't."

Azek was clearly at a loss for words as he stammered.

"Just go. Tell them that I will attend the session in my father's place."

"Of course my Prince." He left quickly before Azulon could order him to say anything treacherous.

* * *

Azulon adjusted the heavy spiked shoulder plate once more as he worked his way to the War Council chambers. He would guess that most people his age would find his position to be straight out of a nightmare. After all, he was about to walk into a room full of people four times his age and experience who would all be looking up to him for advice.

Azulon was not like most people his age though. In fact, he prided himself on it.

He pushed through the red curtain and assumed his position at the head of the giant world map. Twelve regally armored men had been kneeling from their position since he entered.

The young prince blew out a final nervous breath. "Stop." Twelve heads all raised to look at him slowly with confusion. "We have come here to discuss the war, not grovel at my feet."

"O-of course Prince Azulon." Grand Admiral Zhen spoke from his left. "Forgive us."

Azulon groaned. "Unnecessary apologizing counts as groveling. Just pretend I am my father and conduct the meeting as you normally would." Despite his years of studying, he did have to admit that these War Council sessions were quite unknown to him. They were about the one thing his father had not permitted him to attend.

After a few whispers of uncertainty that Azulon chose to ignore, Supreme General Itazi rose to his feet. "Prince Azulon. The war goes well. I have assembled a majority of the available forces in Yu Dao. When winter relents we will be marching on the Earth Kingdom stronghold Taku."

Azulon folded his hands beneath his chin as he stared at the clay figurines that represented the armies of his nation. His lips formed a slight frown over the number of troops in the north-western Earth Kingdom. "Very good Supreme General Itazi."

The man bowed briefly before sitting. Grand Admiral Zhen stood up in his place. "Prince Azulon. We have a fleet of twelve Kuruza Cruisers patrolling the Mo Ce Sea. The other twenty cruisers are running supplies between the homeland and the colonies."

"Thank you Grand Admiral Zhen." The older man bowed before retaking his position. Azulon stared intently at the clay ships and other figurines; the story that they told was heard loud and clear and he didn't like it.

"My fellow hotmen." The rather low brow name he had given them had all of them looking around the room. He rose before speaking again. "I apologize; did the peasant word I use offend any of you?" Their looks grew even more frantic. "If you want to stop being referred to as peasants than all of you better stop forming idiotic strategies."

Supreme General Itazi was the first one brave enough to speak; just another thing Azulon made a mental note of. "P-prince Azulon… I am afraid we do not understand."

Azulon's eyes remained unwavering. "No, it is me who does not understand. I do not understand how all of you have managed to conquer only a fraction of the Earth Kingdom after ten long years at war." Nobody was brave enough to meet his challenge this time. "Perhaps I need to help you hotmen out. How long do these meetings usually last with my father?"

This time it was Zhen who spoke. "Under normal circumstances, we keep Fire Lord Sozin informed on all the activity within both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire-"

"I asked how long."

Zhen gulped. "T-the meeting would normally last a few minutes. Fire Lord Sozin is a very busy man."

"Do not spare me your true feelings."

"Prince Azulon, I speak only the truth."

"And I know the truth." He began slowly working his way behind his advisors. "The truth is that my father is wasting the rest of his life searching for an already dead Avatar instead of focusing on the war. Now speak to me freely, why have we been unable to progress further across the Earth Kingdom? From what I understand, guarding such a vast land would require troops that not even such a large nation could possess."

Supreme General Itazi met his eyes as he made his way back to the head of the table. "We are truly able to speak freely Prince Azulon?"

"My word is my honor."

"At the start of the war, Fire Lord Sozin dedicated nearly all of the army's budget and troops towards the construction of fake Air Nation sanctuaries in the Pavana Mountains."

The young grit his teeth over yet another thing he had never heard of. "What is the purpose of these sanctuaries?"

"They were built to lure in any airbenders that escaped our attack of the temples. A squad of troops guards each one night and day."

"How successful have they been?"

"Successful?"

Azulon sighed loudly as he closed his eyes. "How many airbenders have these sanctuaries lured in?"

Itazi looked across the table for help before returning his gaze to the prince. "Less than thirty. None in the past five years. Many of the original hundred sanctuaries have been destroyed and we have been forced to rebuild them in other locations."

"How were they destroyed? You said there were troops stationed there." Azulon was liking these fake sanctuaries less and less.

Itazi's whole face paled. "We are unsure. The troops at all of them were killed before we even heard of any of the attacks."

"Of course they were. I'm assuming my father only ordered you to rebuild the sanctuaries rather than look into the attacks?"

"Uh…"

Azulon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Alright, what happened to the airbenders we did lure in then?"

"Fire Lord Sozin told us to capture them and hand them over to War Minister Kuraz." He could at least say this with confidence.

"I have not had the pleasure of meeting War Minister Kuraz. Why is he not at this meeting?"

Itazi's head lowered. "War Minister Kuraz is very busy overseeing the construction of new colonies on Ember Island."

Azulon could only roll his eyes. "I imagine Ember Island suits his needs quite well." The advisors did not understand once more so he continued. "Do you know what War Minister Kuraz is doing with the airbenders?"

Itazi broke out in a sweat as he could only shake his head.

"Very well." Azulon rose to his feet to walk around the table again. "Treasurer Zokane, please begin reallocating all of the army budget back into the actual army. Supreme General Itazi, inform all the troops manning the sanctuaries to regroup with your forces in Yu Dao; we are abandoning the sanctuaries. Grand Admiral Zhen, I need you to halt the supply chain of those twenty cruisers and move them up the Jishu River in order to siege Taku from the east. We will pay merchant sailors to use their ships in order to make up for the loss."

The whispers of confusion had turned into fully raised voices of confusion across the table. Grand Admiral Zhen rose to speak on all of their behalf. "Prince Azulon, to comply with any of these orders would be in direct conflict with previous orders from Fire Lord Sozin."

"Gentlemen." His pacing had brought him back to the head of the table as he spent a moment looking into each of their eyes. "I realize what I ask of you is treasonous even to think of, but I ask you to think of what my orders will accomplish. I know that a majority of you have at least one son serving in the army or navy. Every day that this war drags on is another day that you will not see them. Follow me and I will lead the Fire Nation to a swift and decisive victory."

Murmurs shot around the table once more as they realized any hope of another painless war meeting flew out the window when Azulon stepped foot in the room.

The young prince knew they needed more assurance. "Gentlemen, I swear upon my honor that if you follow my orders over my father's then it will not be any of you who incurs his wrath. If my foolish father ever does find out about the changes then I will accept full responsibility for them. If you stand behind me, then I will be your gracious leader through every victory and and every defeat. Especially the defeats."

Each advisor looked at each other once more with the same expression; absolute disbelief that they were so willing to throw away their lives behind the promise of a ten-year-old boy who spoke well beyond his years.

Surprisingly, it was the lowest ranking advisor, the leader of the Royal Procession, Zin Lee, who rose to his feet. "We stand behind you, Prince Azulon."

"I assure you that your confidence is not misplaced gentlemen. Zin Lee, will you please bring in some servants? This meeting will be running quite long and I am desperate for refreshments."

"O-of course, Prince Azulon." The young man hurried out the curtain to comply with another order that went against another Fire Nation custom; no servants inside the War Council's chambers.

The eleven advisors left quickly realized it would not be the last of Azulon breaking custom.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you so much for reading my first chapter of my new story. Now, if you aren't terribly familiar with Azulon; he is basically the reason the Fire Nation was in position to win the Hundred Year War. There is a reason why Azula was named after him after all.

I do plan on adding on to this story, but it won't follow any chronological storyline. It's more so going to be a series of interconnected one shots.

Lots of word origin/pronunciation this time around: Zhen = Chinese name meaning greatly astonished (pretty perfect for the War Council I think), Kuruza (Kuh-roo-zuh) = Japanese word for cruiser, Zokane = Adapted from Japanese word for money, Pavana (puh-vah-nuh) = Sanskrit word for wind, Jishu (Gee-shu) = Chinese word for technology

All other names were made up based off of common Fire Nation naming conventions. Also, the year is AG or After Genocide so it's been ten years since the airbenders were attacked. Thanks again and hope you enjoyed.


	2. What A Lifetime of Success Brings

**What A Lifetime of Success Brings**

 _95 AG_

The balcony extending off of the Fire Lord's chambers had been the first actual move he had made when he became Fire Lord. He received that same strange look that accompanied all his unusual requests.

Fire Lord Azulon, known for his cold and ruthless tactics, would not make any war plans until his balcony was completed. The workers finished it in two days.

The time it took them did not speak to its quality. It was made from twenty different cherry blossom tress and the painters painstakingly detailed the beautiful petals along the railings.

The actual balcony was unimportant to him though; the view was what mattered. The palace gardens were always a welcome sight to his weary mind, despite him having not entered the garden for decades.

 _I don't deserve to set foot in such beauty._

The sound of his chambers' doors being opened brought his attention to his new visitor. Princess Ursa entered with a small smile towards her father-in-law. Azulon had long done away with the practice of a door servant announcing any guests. He figured anyone that had the bravery to see him in his own chambers was more than worthy to talk to him.

She sat down in the chair opposite him before setting a tray on the table between them.

"Good evening Azulon." Ursa knew how much he hated the stuffiness that came from using titles at all times. He only put up with it in war meetings. "Would you like some tea?"

He nodded once and took the offered cup once she was through pouring it. By the smell he could tell it was jasmine, his favorite. Without taking a sip he put it back on the table. "Tell me something, if I didn't drink the poison, what were you going to do?" His eyes never left the garden as his tone remained calm.

She blew out a small breath before exposing the small dagger she had hid in her sleeve. Still, she maintained her calm exterior.

Azulon smiled. Ursa had always impressed him with her poise and mostly hidden cunning. Of course, he had long given up the hope of either of these rubbing off on her husband. "You should've had Ochai deliver it. He always brings up the tea for our talks." Their regular talks had also become another of his favorite aspects about Ursa, especially since Ilah passed away.

"I know. I wanted you to know." She sniffled slightly, clearly trying to keep back tears.

"Your husband told you what I said in the throne room." He left the obvious truth as a statement before continuing. "Only he could interpret that threat as aimed toward Zuko. I swear he will know pain like no other, but worry not, your son is safe." She immediately moved to take his cup back before his hand stopped her movements. "No. Leave it."

"Azulon, please. You know I meant no offense." He had always hated how menacing his words were taken.

He grabbed the cup before lifting it under his nose. "I know. He threatened you, didn't he?"

"He threatened Zuko…" Some tears managed to leak out this time.

"Then I must die."

His resigned message sent a chill through her. "No, I rushed to conclusions. He scared me is all. There is another way I am sure."

"There isn't. He is as impatient as he is foolish. His want to become Fire Lord now will be granted."

Ursa followed his gaze, hoping that somehow it had the key to understanding his strange words. "But…why? You know he is unfit to rule."

"I'm counting on it. I owe the world that much."

"Azulon, you are an incredibly gifted man whose accomplishes fill up a whole library."

"Have you been reading our own propaganda? Our nation will grieve my loss, while the rest of the world celebrates my death."

"As they should, you struck fear in your enemies-"

"Stop. Do you really think I want to hear nothing but groveling in my last moments?"

Ursa set her lip in a line before nodding for him to continue.

"My father started this war by committing the biggest atrocity the world will ever know. I used to think that he had doomed me to this life. A life where I could go nowhere without being seen as a heartless monster. It seemed his plan was always to mold me into this. I was not raised by a family, but rather by a committee. I never knew my mother; she was just some royal concubine chosen for her fertility given Sozin's age. I don't think I ever had an actual conversation with my father." He motioned towards the cup. "Will it hurt?"

She shook her head. "No. It will take effect when you sleep."

He frowned at her words even still before gulping down the liquid at once; she didn't even flinch. He stared at the cup for a brief moment before setting it down. "Fitting that I go out like a coward." Ursa opened her mouth in protest, but he shook his head before the words could come out. "I have realized far too late in my old age that my own atrocities were not a result of my father; they are my own to bare. I could have stopped this war a long time ago. I deserve this fate. My father may have plunged the world into darkness, but I made sure it could never return. I am the monster my father always knew I could be."

"You believe he will lose the war." Ursa had figured out his plan. She always was quick to pick up on things.

He shook his head slowly with his eyes close. "Of that I cannot be sure. I can only hope that my death will bring upon some peace. I only wish I could live to see the day that Ozai pays for his sins." He signed the paper she brought with the tray, having no doubt it was some proclamation that Ozai was the better choice for Fire Lord after Lu Ten's passing. He wished he could see Iroh again, to plead with him to understand. The Spirits would not be giving him that chance of course.

She rose to her feet slowly. "I'm not sure if it matters, but I never thought you were a monster."

"Neither did Ilah. But I know now the Spirits took her from me as means of punishment. Do not weep for me, nobody else will."

Ursa turned around one last time as she reached for the door. "Goodbye Azulon."

"Goodbye Ursa."

As he observed the setting sun one last time, his thoughts turned to his first ever war meeting. The day he began turning a winless war into a seemingly surefire victory. The image of Ilah's smiling face normally calmed his troubled mind, but for the last ten years since her passing he could only see her frown.

He hoped tonight that would change. Azulon got into his bed for the final time.

"Please Spirits, just let me see her one last time."

* * *

 **AN:** About this chapter: I know that Azulon is described as a cold and ruthless leader, but I have a feeling that only makes up a small part of him. He seems to care way too much about Iroh at least for him to be totally inhuman. Plus, the idea of this amazingly intelligent and cunning person being taken down by Ursa poisoning him unknowingly seems utterly ridiculous. Also if you aren't familiar, Ilah was Azulon's wife who we pretty much know nothing about besides her name.

I also really quick want to touch on me saying that Azulon's threat was not meant for Zuko. I know it may seem strange, but I do have an in canon source to back me up. In the episode Zuko Alone, following Azulon saying that Ozai's punishment had barely begun, we hear the sound of firebending, but never see it. Then Azula comes to Zuko's room saying that Ozai would be killing him. I believe that Azulon attacked Ozai and had no plans to kill Zuko. I mean, why would the guy who has guided the Fire Nation through a near century long war be so willing to kill one of his heirs? He has to know they don't exactly grow on trees. Especially after he just said how disrespectful Ozai was being in regards to Lu Ten's death. So yeah, I really doubt Azulon would so purposefully jeopardize his blood line just to teach Ozai a lesson.

Word Origin/Pronunciation: Ochai (O-chy) = Adapted from the Japanese word for tea

Whether you agree with me or not, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter regardless. As always, I am open to hearing any arguments you may have about this as well.


	3. Clay Soldiers

**Clay Soldiers**

 _40 AG_

Nights like these he could never stand to see her. He would lock himself in his office and not emerge to the morning after.

These sorts of nights always happened after a war meeting and the servants always assumed he was working on new strategies or signing important documents.

She always knew better.

The next morning, she would press him until eventually he would confess what had gone on in the meeting. He didn't think he could tell her the truth this time.

Said truth was that the war meeting was actually going quite well up to the end. His advisors had finished recounting about their success all across the north-western parts of the Earth Kingdom. The colonies were thriving and any Earth Kingdom resistance had been reduced to a few small and scattered rebellions.

Some divisions had even moved east across the Pavana Mountains and poked at the buzzard wasp nest that was Ba Sing Se. Meaningless pokes were all they were though.

They had nowhere near the amount of troops necessary to tackle a siege of the Earth Kingdom stronghold, so some savvy generals opted to merely disrupt supply convoys or troop movements. They didn't come within a hundred miles of the wall.

Then Grand Admiral Tokuza brought up how little progress they had made in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Ever since their first ill-fated attempt at capturing Omashu two years ago ended in total defeat, they had been unable to get any troops south of the Jishu River.

The Southern Water Tribe were apparently sick of guarding their own quiet borders and used their vast navy to assist the Earth Kingdom. Tokuza said that despite the recent introduction of the Empire-class battleships, his fleet was struggling to win any battles against the Southern Water Tribe.

Their waterbenders allowed them to sneak up on the much bigger Fire Nation ships and sink them before the crews could even hope to fight back.

The hit-and-run tactic was proving to be their biggest weakness throughout the war as squashing any of the small rebellions took more time to squash then any of their sieges of an Earth Kingdom stronghold.

As for the issue of the Water Tribe specifically, his advisors seemed completely stumped as they began shouting out ideas for what to do.

"Increase the size of the fleet from six to eight ships."

"Keep the catapults and ballistas armed at all times."

"Go north around the Earth Kingdom and come down the Karsu River to avoid them."

"We should launch a full scale invasion on the Southern Water Tribe when winter ends."

Azulon rose and everyone silenced themselves in an instant. From the start he knew what to do, he had just hoped for once someone else besides him would suggest it. "Gentleman, we must practice patience. Omashu will still be there next year. To attack the Southern Water Tribe would require resources that we do not possess. I suggest instead that we target what makes their navy so threatening. Come this summer, when the days are long in the south pole we will employ their own tactic against them."

Murmurs of confusion were heard around the room, earning another sigh from the Fire Lord. He really would have spell it for them. "Grand Admiral Tokuza, I am tasking you with creating a fleet of six Kuruza Cruisers, their speed will prove invaluable. Your choice of commander is entirely up to you. The goal is simple: raid the Southern Water Tribe and kidnap the waterbenders one at a time. Keep the attacks random, never at night, and only challenge them in numbers you can handle."

Azulon closed his eyes as all twelve advisors began showering him with admiration over his latest monstrous idea.

The memory was fresh in his mind even now hours after the meeting had ended. He was quietly stewing in his office while his advisors all went home singing his praises to their families about how Fire Lord Azulon would guide them through this war.

He received all the praise and seemed to be the only one to feel the guilt.

After having stared at the wall for the past two hours, he finally got to his true purpose as he pulled three clay figures from his desk. They represented the 21st, 54th, and 63rd divisions in the Fire Nation Army.

And all their members were now dead.

One of his strange commands from his early unofficial ruling days was to never re-use a division number when one was destroyed. This led to far too many replacement clay figures in the War Council's chambers.

He held one of the clay figures in his hand before throwing it in the nearby fireplace. "Goodbye Lee Zhing, Zerin, Izi…" Azulon began naming every member of the division from memory. He purposefully left off their ranks; they deserved better than to be remembered as just a foot soldier in his father's war. "Although your bodies have moved on, your inner fires will forever burn."

The clay figure turned to ash as he began on the next names.

* * *

 **AN:** So this is obviously the creation of the Southern Raiders, which in canon Azulon actually did create. I know this chapter is rather short, but I really aim to keep a chapter focused on only one aspect from the war or Azulon's life. Naturally, some will be longer than others depending on the subject matter.

On to the chapter at hand: So this is the second chapter in a row to reference Ilah's effect over Azulon. Considering that together they raised Iroh, I really struggle to believe that Azulon was this entirely evil man. I also think that Ilah would bring out the best in Azulon, who will in turn have a huge internal conflict. This will be explored later on, but the basis comes from Ilah seeing Azulon as so much more than a genius warlord. In turn this creates that internal conflict in Azulon who commits these acts of atrocity all in the vain hope of ending the war sooner. After all, he could've ordered the waterbenders to be killed like his father, but instead chooses for them to just be kidnapped. Undeniably evil yes, but nowhere near the same level as genocide.

As always, feel free to disagree and thanks for reading.


	4. The Dotted Line

**The Dotted Line**

 _20 AG_

His father had died.

Azulon reread the official scroll sent by the captain of Sozin's ship ten times over and he still couldn't believe it. He thought his father was going to search for the Avatar for the rest of time.

Against all odds, Sozin had fought off multiple bouts of scurvy, pneumonia, and even one severe case of pentapox. Men half his age died on board his ship when he decided to look in some of the more treacherous parts of the world. And in the end, he died in his sleep of old age.

 _Only fitting that he got off easily._

The thought had stayed with Azulon for a few days after Sozin's death, but once the official mourning time ended he no longer cared about if Sozin suffered or not. He had finally been crowned Fire Lord after ten long years of doing his father's job while he got all the credit.

Azulon and his advisors had done an excellent job of staying under Sozin's radar in those ten years, but this was unfortunately limiting them on what issues they could tackle. Sozin still kept his eyes on various projects.

This was Azulon's time now though. He did need to be secretive or seek someone's permission. The Fire Nation was his to rule alone.

He was quickly realizing though with his new found power came one small problem. He had to sign off on everything. Literally everything.

A document asking permission for Caldera City Primary School to add a belt to their uniforms. Signing off on a new guard station being built by the harbor. Asking him if soldiers could bring their own fireflakes on base.

In his one day as Fire Lord he thought he had easily already signed more documents than the entire world's population combined. This was quite contrary to what he was used to, considering when he was illegally running the nation he hadn't had to sign a thing. His signature was rather worthless then actually.

"Could I get you to sign on this?"

He didn't even bother to lift his head to see who had invaded his office this time. Rather he just took the offered parchment and without thinking burned the letter "A" into it.

The mystery signature needing person stammered for a few seconds as they looked at the strange burn mark left on the page, but knew better than to question their Fire Lord. Particularly, a visibly upset Fire Lord.

After his office door shut softly he lifted his head and chuckled slightly to himself. He practiced this new firebending signature on a blank scroll and was quite satisfied with both the results and the speed he could make a rather intricate letter "A".

He mentally checked off efficient signatures as another form that he had mastered.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you so much guest reviewer SimpleBend; I'm glad to see you enjoy secondary characters as much as I do. And thank you to everyone who continues to read the story. Just a short chapter today, but I'll probably make up for it by posting another short one tomorrow as well. So just a fun little chapter about Azulon's first challenge as Fire Lord and also the ridiculousness that was Sozin surviving on the ship for twenty years despite being over 80 when he started his voyage.


	5. Simple

**Simple**

 _25 AG_

It would be painless.

Simple.

He could be done in less than five minutes.

He was a master firebender; afraid of nothing.

The books he had studied in anticipation would guide him.

Enough stalling.

He had studied the door for so long that he could paint it from memory.

First he would have to master painting.

Perhaps he would do that beforehand.

It was a lovely door.

Painting would only take him a few years to master.

No, it must be done for the good of his people.

He was their Fire Lord for the good and the bad.

Azulon gave one last drawn out sigh before pushing the door open and stepping into the ballroom. Inside were his targets.

Ten women around his age from only the most noble of noble families. It would just be one simple conversation. He would choose the one whose family held the most influence and had "good birthing hips". He took an analytic gaze at all of them and frowned, the books didn't have any diagrams of course.

"Best to get it over with." He muttered before stepping in front of the first girl; who in turn sprawled out on her hands and knees in a deep bow.

"Fire Lord Azulon, my father would be most honored if you would accept me as your bride." Her voice was soft and her face pretty enough. The hips he was still unsure about.

Azulon gazed at the back of her head, his expression unreadable to the rest of them. _She didn't even mention her name_.

He waited for a few seconds longer in case she would plead her case anymore, but she stayed there perfectly still. She only rose after he moved on to the next girl.

She sold herself in the exact same manner as the first girl. As did the next four he all stood in front of. The brave ones actually managed to change up the rehearsed line a little bit. Instead of him honoring their father by choosing them, they would say he would honor their entire family.

Azulon's eyes twitched slightly as he forced his eyes from rolling subconsciously; a habit he had picked up on his second day as Fire Lord.

Then he came to girl number seven. She looked very similar to the others so he was at least a little shocked when she did not fall to her knees over him being in front of her, although he chalked it up to her nerves getting the better of her.

They stood looking into each other's eyes for a few moments. His gaze gave away nothing while her eyes were serious, her lips were turned up in the faintest of smiles. He sighed inwardly before coughing slightly, clearly he would have to help the poor girl out.

Her next move gave him a true surprise. She extended her hand to him. "Ilah." Her voice was firm.

Most of the other girls could not help the gasp that escaped their lips. They recovered quickly though and went back to doing their best impersonation of a porcelain doll.

Azulon wouldn't smile. He couldn't give away that much so early. He was amused though. Amused enough to extend his own hand and grip her wrist before shaking. "Azulon."

Neither one of them would break the greeting. Azulon even used his bending to his advantage to warm his hand to an uncomfortable heat. There was a slight grimace in her face before she regained composure quickly enough. She knew he wouldn't burn her. Finally, he released his grip.

"You may all take your leave."

The girls all filed out the doorway without hesitation with no signs of disappointments across their faces, not even the ones he hadn't met.

Ilah didn't leave.

Azulon smiled, if only for a split second.

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you so much for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed. What follows is a rambling rant about Ilah and the Fire Nation royalty so if you don't want to find out more then feel free to skip it.

Now then onto the chapter: It was pretty long overdue for me to actually introduce Ilah so here it finally is. Azulon, the most pragmatic person in all of Pragmatism-Land, would of course treat choosing a wife like everything else he does in life: pick the best option. And in case that wasn't clear, Ilah is not the best choice. She did not come from the family with the most influence and she is rather petite (I would have described this in the chapter but since I'm writing it from Azulon's point of view the girls would have been very foreign to him and he would not think about them at great length). Rather she is chosen because she challenges Azulon so openly and defies what she is supposed to do.

Also to close off these rambling notes I want to make a case for something: menopause doesn't exist in the Avatar world and women can have children at any age. I know this may seem like it's coming out of left field but it is actually a really prevalent issue in the Fire Nation royalty's bloodline. Sozin has Azulon when he is 82 and yeah that can be explained as him having a young concubine. However, we know that Ozai was born in 53 AG (making him 47 during the show) and Iroh is at least 10 years older than him (no official age for him). This means that Azulon was 53 when Ozai was born. Now I can already hear the argument coming that Ilah could be much younger than Azulon (unlike in the story) and I will concede that. But there is one problem there: Ursa. Ursa was born in 64 AG (36 in the show) and was Roku's granddaughter. Roku was the same age as Sozin so he died at 70 in 12 BG. So we see that Roku's wife, Ta Min, is basically the same age as him. So yeah, Ta Min had Ursa's mother, Rina, when she was incredibly old and Rina in turn had Ursa when she was well past her child bearing years.

So yeah to sum it all up: women are always fertile in the Avatar world, although I am sure there are risks with having a kid when you are that old.

Sorry for the rant again, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Would love to hear any thoughts on my assertion and I'll see you guys on the next chapter.


	6. In Turn

**In Turn**

 _65 AG_

Azulon stifled another yawn as the war meeting crawled into its fourth hour. "Is there any other business today?" He couldn't keep his voice free of annoyance though.

There was a wave of murmurs from the dozens of officials, generals, and noblemen that were all gathered in the large war room. As the war stretched on longer and longer so too did the Fire Nation's problems. Every city, legendary family, and battalion wanted representation in Caldera City. Azulon didn't allow it to go that far, truth be told he would rather only have his original twelve advisors still, but he had to make compromises to keep his countrymen happy. The ballroom had long been converted to better suit these needs.

Finally, a ship captain stepped forward flanked by two imperial firebenders escorting a young officer in shackles. The captain bowed down on his hands and knees before beginning his no doubt practiced speech. "Fire Lord Azulon, you honor me with your presence."

"My war room is not a court-martial, why have you brought this man before me?" He made no effort in hiding his annoyance now.

To his credit the captain did not shrink. "I personally petitioned for this man to be brought to Caldera City due to multiple violations. Over the past two years in the navy, Ensign Jee has five citations of apparent insubordination, three citations over ill-use of naval equipment, eight citations-"

Azulon raised one hand to stop him as he pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. "Enough of this, there is still no reason for him to be brought here. Standard protocol called for him to be demoted to a prison guard after only three citations. The fact that you have failed to accomplish something so simple has me questioning if you are fit to be a captain in my navy."

The captain couldn't keep the straight face. "I…I apologize. It was foolish of me to not explain the full circumstances. Ensign Jee, before his demotion, oversaw several successful operations including…"

Azulon rolled his eyes as the captain did his best to both acknowledge Jee's accomplishments while also downplaying them as most as possible.

"Basically I'm the reason we ever won any battles." Jee spoke for the first time since he was stood up.

"Quiet you!" The captain turned on him in an instant.

"Captain, you may leave." Azulon narrowed his eyes at Jee.

The captain opened his mouth for a split second before thinking better of it and slinking out of the room.

Azulon stared at the young officer in question for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to his left and right, where his two sons sat, quietly observing the proceedings. "Prince Ozai, what would you do with Ensign Jee?"

"A slap on the wrist?" Jee spoke out of turn with a smirk.

Azulon's expression remained completely neutral as Iroh gave a hearty chuckle and Ozai glared down at the man.

"I would make an example out of him, father. Insubordination cannot be tolerated." The twelve-year-old boy tried his best to make his voice deep and menacing.

Azulon gave a small nod before turning to Iroh. "Prince Iroh?"

"We cannot afford to waste such talent. Or a man with a great sense of humor." Iroh spoke in his usual jovial tone.

The room was silent as Azulon stared at Jee, who refused to back down from the challenge and met his gaze. "I will defer to your judgement Prince Iroh. You will be in charge of Ensign Jee's fate."

"Father, he disgraced our nation!" Ozai could not resist yelling his objections.

"That's enough out of you Prince Ozai!" For the first time all meeting he was forced to raise his voice. "You are dangerously close to committing insubordination yourself." He raised his voice to address everyone. "This meeting is over. If there are any other pressing matters you may see me in my office tonight. Make sure that it is a _pressing_ matter."

Azulon held back his youngest son as everyone else filed out of the giant war room. "Prince Ozai, you must understand the importance of speaking in turn." His tone was stern, but without the icy harshness as when he chastised the boy.

"But Ensign Jee spoke out of turn!" The boy showed his immaturity.

"Ensign Jee was not raised in nobility and does not have everyone looking to him for guidance. These people will judge you harshly if you are unable to keep your emotions in check."

Ozai's face stayed scrunched and it looked as if he would speak out again before he finally sighed, resigning himself. "Very well, father."

* * *

 **AN:** Thank you so much for reading this chapter and I hope you enjoyed. I don't really have much to say except to clarify a few things: 1) Ensign is the lowest rank in the navy. 2) Jee is eighteen in this chapter. 3) Iroh is twenty (making him eight years older than Ozai). This seems like a pretty conservative estimate, but I'm gonna say Iroh looks much older due to the stress of losing Lu Ten.


	7. Shadow

**Shadow**

 _12 AG_

His ship had not been docked on Ember Island for more than five minutes before the nightmare began.

No less than twenty servants were awaiting Azulon at the end of the gangplank. Most were carrying elaborate fabrics or chests filled to the brim with gold, but it was what the last four were carrying that truly made him regret this voyage entirely: the dreaded palanquin.

Steam rose from his shoulders as he brushed past all the servants who bowed in turn as he passed by. He sunk slightly in the soft sand which only further hindered his efforts to look as imposing as possible. He had only gotten a few feet past the carriage when a servant was finally brave enough to find their voice.

"Crown Prince Azulon." The servant was an older man who stayed kneeling while talking to the young noble. "War Minister Kuraz has been anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"I'm sure he has; may I see him now?" Azulon wished for this visit to be as short as possible.

"Of course, my Prince. If you would be so kind to step into the carriage, we will gladly transport you to his manor immediately." The servant was nothing if not persistent.

"I would very much prefer to walk there if that would be alright with you."

The older servant shot a quick look behind him to his fellow servants before returning his gaze to the sand below. "Forgive me Prince Azulon, but we were given very clear instructions to take you to Master Kuraz's manor by way of a palanquin."

"I'd much prefer to walk."

"My Prince, with-"

Azulon cut him off with a quick burst of flames aimed only a few inches from his bowed head. "If Kuraz is so insistent on my comfort, then it will due him best to know I am at my most comfortable under the power of my own two legs."

He quickly turned his back on the servant and began making his way down the beach, following their still fresh footprints. The present bearing servants made their way up the gangplank as the four carrying the palanquin fell in line behind their crown prince.

It only took a few minutes of walking for Kuraz's estate to come into view. Just a quick glance and one could see how badly the walled off grounds contrasted with the island's sprawling jungle.

Azulon picked up his pace through the already opened wooden gates, eager to begin this long overdue meeting.

War Minister Kuraz stood at the front entrance to his oversized mansion, hands extended outward in an obvious sign of hospitality. "Welcome to the luxurious Ember Island, Prince Azulon." Kuraz's voice boomed out to him as he made his way across the courtyard.

Azulon stopped just short of the steps leading up to the house. "Isn't it customary for non-royalty to bow in the face of their prince?" He needed to let this man know that all this pageantry would not stop him from completing the true objective of this voyage.

Kuraz gave a half-smile. "Of course, my Prince. But I have heard from my fellow compatriots how you are quite particular about not following that practice."

Azulon's eyes narrowed an imperceptible amount, it appeared that Kuraz wasn't as foolish as he thought. "Very well. Let's go somewhere more private so we can get onto the matter at hand."

Kuraz clapped his hands together. "My, my. They weren't kidding when they said you were all about business, and so eloquent as well. Fire Lord Sozin must be so proud."

Azulon could not stop the scowl from appearing on his face. "War Minister Kuraz, I am very busy, so if it's all the same, let's begin."

"Of course, Prince Azulon, follow me inside to the dining hall. We shall discuss the manner of your visit over dinner." He was inside the house before Azulon could say another word, leaving the boy no other option but to grumble his way inside the mansion.

* * *

Azulon had to refuse any form of nourishment seven different times before finally the servants ignored him in favor of providing Kuraz with another drink or dish. Kuraz would only take one sip or bite of something before sending it back to the kitchen.

After the fifth different plate Azulon had enough. He cleared his throat loudly and motioned for all the servants to leave them immediately. Kuraz did nothing but stare at the boy intently.

"War Minister Kuraz, it is time for us to discuss your future involvement with the war efforts." He decided to keep things vague at first.

"Oh?" Kuraz raised a single eyebrow before sampling one of the wine cups put before him. "Has your father sent you with a new proposal?"

Azulon resisted the urge to grit his teeth, losing his composure this early would doom him. "No, I am here today not because my father requested a meeting, but because I did. You have no doubt heard that I am now attending war council meetings in my father's place?"

Kuraz nodded once as he bit into a new dish, clearly unsurprised by this bit of news.

"Well in the two years that I have been attending these meetings, I have become quite disturbed over the fact that you have failed to attend any of the meetings." Azulon did his best to keep the anger he felt from seeping into his tone.

The older man put down his fork before dabbing at his mouth with a handkerchief. "Apologies, my Prince. You see I have so much to attend to in the ever-expanding colonies. I'm afraid I spend more time there settling disputes than I do in my luxurious manor. Had I realized attendance was required, I would have cleared time in my schedule for you."

"No apologies are required, Lord Kuraz, attendance is not necessary." Azulon knew when he was beat, he would have to try a different angle. "I only meant to express my disappointment over having not met you earlier. After all, if I am to rule this grand nation one day then I would be quite remiss if I did not get to know those who I would be working with closely."

"Quite remiss indeed, I believe you will find yourself in good company with me." Kuraz gave another half-smile before gesturing to the overly decorated dining hall.

"As I said before, I came here to discuss your involvement in the war efforts, not find good company." Azulon refused to let his shell crack.

Kuraz's confidence would not break so easily either. "I don't see why it can't be both. So tell me, which part of my involvement are you curious about?"

"During one of the many war meetings that you have been too busy to attend, it came to my attention that any captured airbenders have been sent to you. What exactly have you been doing with these prisoners?"

Kuraz finally dropped the smile from his face before raising up from his chair and walking to the closest window. "You are quite attentive in these war meetings, aren't you?" Azulon ignored the rhetorical question and waited for him to continue. "The airbenders sent to me are immediately tested for any signs that they might be the missing Avatar."

Azulon matched the other man and stepped alongside him. "And what happens after they are tested?"

Kuraz merely shrugged as if they were discussing the local weather. "They are reassigned."

He was testing Azulon and they both knew it. He just as easily could have said they were killed afterwards. Azulon couldn't help but fall for the bait. "What exactly does that mean? War Minister Kuraz, I demand that you show me where these prisoners are being held."

"It seems that you did inherit your father's temper after all. Showing you where they are will be quite impossible, Azulon."

Puffs of smoke escaped the twelve-year old's nose as he settled his breathing. "You dare address me without a proper title?"

Kuraz turned away from the boy as he waved his hand through the expanding smoke. "Let's drop this little game of ours, shall we? You lost the moment you set foot on this island."

"Do you really think you can get away with threatening me?"

"Yes. Now if you don't mind I think I would rather continue my dinner in private." He gestured his hand to the closed doors.

"The power I wield-"

"Is nothing to the power that your father wields." He cut in quickly. "I must say your father was quite disappointed to hear that the fake Air Nation sanctuaries had been all but abandoned."

The anger disappeared from Azulon in an instant, and in its place crept the all too familiar feeling of his father's shadow, ever watching his son no matter where in the world he may be. "What did you tell him?" Azulon let the words escape between gritted teeth.

"Only that the War Council came to the difficult decision that the sanctuaries were becoming a detriment to the war effort. I was also able to assuage his worries when I informed him I would use my own personal profits to hire colonial soldiers to man the sanctuaries."

"You disobeyed a direct order from the war council?"

"No, I disobeyed an order from a sniveling child who enjoys playing at ruler too much. I obeyed your father who has always placed finding the Avatar above all else in this war. Now, unless you would like to confess to any more illegal dealings, I would really prefer to finish my dinner."

Azulon found himself at a loss for words for the first time in his life. The anger inside him fueled his response. "I will not remain a prince forever Kuraz. My father will die."

Kuraz sat back down and raised his glass to the still steaming young man. "I'll be sure to send you a coronation gift."

Azulon could take no more as he channeled all his anger outwards, flames erupting from his hands. The giant fireball hit its mark as the door leading out of the dining hall disintegrated in a split second.

The servants did not dare look at him as he strode out of the manor.

* * *

AN: So sorry about the absence, but ya know, life gets in the way. Anyway, onto this chapter.

Not much to say other than this is just an expansion of events put in place in chapter 1. The Air Nation sanctuaries are an actual part of canon that was only touched upon in the one-off comic, _Relics_. It takes place sometime in Book One and I think it is a real shame that there wasn't even a filler episode about these because the idea could definitely be expanded on. If you are curious about them, you can read up on the comic on the Avatar wiki or know that they pretty much function how I laid them out in the story: the Fire Nation used recovered Air Nation artifacts to lure surviving airbenders out of hiding and into their clutches.

Also, I hope you enjoyed Kuraz, we are sure to be seeing more of him in the future. Thanks for reading and enjoy.


	8. Fog of War

**Fog of War**

 _60 AG_

"The hull has been punctured! We're taking on water!"

A blur of bodies rushed around him, travelling deeper into the ship's hold. The grim look most of them wore told him all that he needed to know.

Azulon had been in his quarters reviewing various war reports when the ship had come to a screeching halt.

They had been travelling east across the Shivering Sea towards the new military base just south of Chameleon Bay. Admiral Ohei, the man in charge of this mission, had assured him that all the Earth Kingdom Navy had been wiped out in this area. He was so sure of this fact that he implored the Fire Lord that they only take the flagship of his fleet in an effort to save time.

Azulon ground his teeth together as the ship buckled under the newly added weight of the water. _Ohei and I will be having a little chat over what "wiped out" means after we are through here._

He brushed past the last of the men rushing to repair the ship before stepping onto the deck. Try as he might, Azulon could only hear but not see the dozens of men rushing to man the catapults and ballistae. His temporary blindness was entirely due to the thick fog now hugging the entire deck. It was quite a strange sight to the near sixty-year-old Fire Lord, as just that morning he had spent time on the deck meditating under an almost oppressive sun.

His ponderings ended abruptly as the unmistakable sound of boots pounding across the wood deck reached his ears. Azulon barely saw the sharp end of a spear as it breached through the fog. He reacted with the speed of a man half his age as he spun out of the way of the thrusting spear. Before the wielder could change course, Azulon gripped the spear just beyond the blade with one hand before firing a fire stream back at his assailant.

The stench of burnt hair and skin filled his nostrils as the man fell without a noise. Turning the spear over in his hands, Azulon soon realized the hilt was made of bone. The source of the fog had suddenly become a lot more explainable.

Straining his ears, he also realized just how silent the rest of the deck had gotten. He dropped the spear before sprinting back to the base of the ship's conning tower and sealing the heavy metal door behind him.

His heart pounded in his ears as he went over his options. The bridge was ten stories above him and even if it wasn't lost yet, he had no doubt that its capture was one of their attacker's top priorities. That left him with only one choice, to travel deeper below deck in hopes of finding more soldiers so they might repel this attack.

He grit his teeth as he began running down the stairs. The option of going deeper into the sinking ship which was sure to be crawling all manner of Water Tribe warriors and benders was certainly not an enviable position to be in.

Azulon shook his head in anger as he spotted a small tear running along the side of his robes. The spear had missed him by mere inches and he felt all the more foolish for going above deck without his armor. Returning to his quarters to don the protective gear was simply a death wish now.

Finally, he reached the floor he had been retreating to. Deck five held the remaining life boats not attached to the open deck above. He couldn't be sure if the order to abandon ship had gone out, but he was sure to find more than a few men eagerly awaiting that very order.

The deck was far too silent for his liking. As he moved forwards, each opening in the ship told the same story; no lifeboats remained.

He was almost through checking the starboard side of the ship when a flash of heat suddenly raced by, inches from his face. He rounded the corner and dissipated the next onslaught of flames in turn.

"Friendly!" He called out as he searched the room for the bender.

The firebender in question came out from his defensive position in the last secured life boat. A grimace was plastered across his face as he held his left palm tightly against his lower abdomen. Recognition came quickly for the younger man as their eyes met.

"Apologies, my lord! Had I known you were still aboard I would've formed an escort party immediately." The young man raised his fists in a brief salute before reapplying pressure to his wound.

Azulon cast a discerning look over the man before responding. He was certainly young, only looking to be a few years older than Iroh. His jet-black hair was kept short and tidy in a tight top knot. He barely looked capable of growing facial hair, yet that did not stop the beginning of a whisper thin mustache from appearing upon his upper lip.

"No need for apologies. What are you doing here?"

The soldier visibly relaxed as he took a big breath. "I was on the bridge when the ship was first hit. Admiral Ohei sent me down here with orders to defend a lifeboat so that he and the other aboard the bridge might escape."

"What about the rest of the lifeboats? Were the rest of the men ordered to abandon ship?"

The other man used his free hand to scratch at his chin. "I'm not sure, sir. Just a few minutes before you showed up this deck was in complete chaos. Men jumped overboard if they could not find a life boat."

"I see." Azulon stroked his beard before turning his back on the soldier.

"Excuse me, sir? If you don't mind me asking, what is the plan?"

Azulon arched an eyebrow. "Plan?"

"Of course, sir. Are we regrouping with the others and taking down the enemy ship by ship? Or do you want to gather what remains of the men aboard and retake the ship?"

"Soldier, there is no plan. Those men you saw earlier were running for their lives, not regrouping. We are probably the last two breathing Fire Nation men left on this ship. I suggest we continue breathing and row that lifeboat as far from here as possible."

For a brief moment the soldier looked as if he would continue to argue the point, but he thought better of it and climbed back into the boat.

Azulon climbed in as well and the two began lowering the boat through the fog and into the water.

"Can you row with your injury?" Azulon stood above the young man who was still pressing a palm to his wound.

The other man merely nodded before taking both oars and starting rowing at a steady pace away from the ship. Azulon carefully navigated the tiny boat as he made his way to the very tip and placed one foot on the wooden rim of it.

His eyes continued to scan their surroundings as the fog slowly began to fade. He barely saw the first arrow before ducking just under it.

"Duck down!" He commanded as arrows filled the air above them, some embedding themselves in their boat.

Azulon peered over the front of the boat to take in the situation. A water tribe ship had picked up on their path and was quickly baring down on them. At least twenty archers were firing a constant barrage of arrows from the ship's deck.

The soldier had huddled close to the front of the boat as well. The rim of the boat gave them protection from the arrows, but as the ships drew closer together their cover would all but disappear. Azulon met the other man's eyes once more and was actually shocked to see something other than fear in them.

The Fire Lord knew this look well. The man's eyed were dead set in determination, mirroring Azulon's own expression.

"When I tell you to I need you to jump off the side of the boat, understand?"

The soldier nodded once and braced himself for whatever was to come next.

Azulon took a split second to even his breathing.

"Now!"

The young man sprang out of the boat and into the waters below. Arrows went careening after him and gave Azulon the moment of opportunity he was looking for. In a flash he was on his feet, his arms rotating in the all too familiar motion as static filled the air around him.

Before any archer could even train their bow upon him, twin streaks of blue lighting shot forward from his fingertips. The Water Tribe ship ignited instantly as screams of pure agony could be heard as men dove hopelessly into the murky depths.

A gasp filled the air as the soldier was finally able to surface. Azulon bent over and offered his hand to the man, who took it happily and climbed aboard.

The two men sat opposite each other as the boat slowly drifted to a nearby island. The younger man was panting heavily as Azulon still managed to keep his breath even.

"That was incredible." The soldier wheezed out between breathes.

"It was necessary." Azulon's tone made it clear the discussion was over. "We need to make land before any more Water Tribe ships can spot us."

The other man regained his focus and returned to his job of rowing. With his back turned, Azulon gave the man a small smile. The soldier has managed to impress him if nothing else.

"Tell me soldier, who are you?"

The man didn't bother to turn his head to respond. "Lieutenant Jeong Jeong, sir."

* * *

AN: Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Introducing Jeong Jeong was a blast and I hope that translated well. Also based off the ending you might be able to tell that this particular chapter in Azulon's life isn't over yet. This is going to be the first time I will be writing a tale from Azulon's life that will span multiple chapters. So, expect at least the next two chapters to be a continuation of this.

Word Pronunciation/Meaning/Origin/Other Info:

1)Ohei = Adapted from Japaness word for arrogant

2) Conning Tower = Towers of ships used to look out over the ocean; think of where the bridge is on Fire Nation ships (those are at the top of the ship's conning tower)

3) Ballistae = Plural of ballista, which are the giant crossbows seen on various Fire Nation ships

4) Jeong Jeong is 21 here for those curious


	9. Around the World in Eighty Days

**Around the World in Eighty Days**

 _57 AG_

"I'm sorry you'll have to explain this to me again." For the first time since he was a child, Azulon was stumped. Well and truly stumped. It reminded him of the puzzles his younger son had tried to complete when he was a couple years younger. The type of puzzles where the child would have to shove various shaped objects through the correct holes.

Azulon frowned at the thought of the memory. It was when Ilah and he had first discovered that Ozai was a firebender when the toddler burned the wooden triangle to ashes after its refusal to fit in the square hole.

Admiral Kyori gave a look that resembled that same look Azulon had given a baby Ozai; the look of pure exasperation. Azulon realized he probably deserved such a look, considering this was now the fifth time that Kyori was going to explain the plan to him.

"My lord, I can bring this to your attention another time if you so desire. I understand the war council meetings can be quite draining." Admiral Kyori said with only the slightest hint of frustration in his voice.

Azulon sat up straighter in his chair. He had taken Kyori to his personal office after the admiral requested a personal meeting once the council had adjourned. Azulon was more than happy to grant the request immediately to Kyori, one of the most highly decorated men in the entire navy. "Nonsense, you came to speak so do as much." He said before crossing his arms.

Kyori's eyebrow quirked in annoyance as it appeared Azulon was just going to ignore the five previous explanations of the plan. "Okay. I want to take one Shahee Frigate and sail it west of the capital."

"West?"

"Yes. West." Kyori smiled, having finally gotten somewhere.

"How far west?" Azulon's tone left little to the imagination as to just how unimpressed he was with the plan.

"I dunno." Kyori answered with a shrug.

Azulon couldn't help but sigh. Kyori had always been a strange man and if it were any other man standing before him, Azulon probably could not have resisted burning them to a crisp for such lackluster reasoning. Kyori was not any other man though.

He had become an admiral after he managed to outwit and sink six Earth Kingdom warships with only a single Kuruza Cruiser. It wasn't accomplished by outgunning or outmaneuvering the other ships either. No, Kyori ordered his helmsman to purposefully beach his ship on the far side of a small island. The six Earth Kingdom ships were forced to move in closer in order to fire upon Kyori's ship, as the island provided too much cover to shoot over. What the Earth Kingdom ships failed to notice was the rocky reef surrounding the island, obscured by the morning fog. Although the reef tore into Kyori's metal ship, it completely sank the wooden vessels of the Earth Kingdom.

Kyori's naval career was filled with stories like that. The captains that made up his fleet often joked that Kyori was just as likely to sink his own ship over the enemy's, all in accordance with one of his insane ruses.

The results spoke for themselves though. Kyori had been involved in some of the largest successes since the war began. From the Siege of Taku to the Battle over Spire Rock, Kyori always managed to come out on top.

"You do realize that only the Forgotten Sea is to the west, right?" Azulon finally questioned after mulling over the request.

"That's what makes it so genius! We can invade Ba Sing Se from the east." He hopped out of his chair when he got the final word of his plan out.

"Come again?" Azulon scratched his inner ear, hoping to have misheard Kyori.

"The army can't reach Ba Sing Se because of the Si Wong Desert and Pavana Mountains, so what if we just showed up behind Ba Sing Se?" Kyori tapped his forehead, clearly proud of the insane proposal.

"And how do we do that?"

Kyori slumped back in his chair. "I already told you, by sailing west!"

Azulon kept his anger in check over the defiance he was being shown. If there were one man who could best Azulon in strategy, it would be Kyori. There had to be something he was missing. "So, you are proposing an expedition through the Forgotten Sea that would somehow end up with you on the opposite side of the world?" Azulon placed two fingers on opposite ends of the map he kept on the desk in order to further point out the lunacy in this plan.

Kyori sat up straight and leaned into his palms. "That's the thing, the world isn't like this map. It goes around." He smiled widely as he circled his closed fist with his finger.

Perhaps a different strategy would help Kyori see the error of his ways. "Do you know why it is called the Forgotten Sea?"

"Easy. Because nobody remembers it's there."

His palm slapped across his face almost automatically. "No." Azulon stated flatly. "It is because those who seek to cross it are all swallowed by the sea so completely that even their memory is forgotten."

"Stop trying to sell me dragon poop and calling it an egg. You know those are just stories."

Azulon ignored the crude expression, he often forgot Kyori was a man with very humble beginnings and never had his sharpened edges dulled by a life of nobility. "Then why has nobody ever successfully traversed the Forgotten Sea?"

"I am sure they have but hey, you know what they say about the girls in Ba Sing Se." Kyori said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

This had gone on long enough for Azulon's taste. "Admiral Kyori, your request is denied."

Kyori closed his eyes as he puffed his lower lip, nodding slightly. "Cool, cool, cool. Okay then, I would like to officially announce my retirement." He shot up instantly and shoved his open hand out across the desk.

Azulon had gone from stumped to stunned. Kyori was well within his right to retire of course, his ten-year required term had long since ended. But this was a man who slept with battle plans across his face so he could absorb them in his dreams, whatever that meant. "You really believe this is the best course of action?" Azulon could not stand the thought of losing his best admiral.

Kyori looked serious for perhaps the first time his entire life. "Yes. I believe that this will win us the war." He couldn't keep his face from breaking out in smile for long though. "Unless of course I find one of those infamous Ba Sing Se girls."

Azulon tried to not make a habit of sighing. It was too clear of a sign of frustration or exasperation. Kyori could make a statue sigh though. "Very well. Would you please step outside, so I may think this over in peace? I will be but a minute."

Kyori clicked his tongue and pointed both his index fingers at Azulon before slipping out the way he came in.

The second the door shut behind him Azulon's face smacked across the table. He thought back to the decades of teachings, lessons, defeats, and victories for anything to help him decide. Surprisingly, it was something his father had said to him that convinced him.

He was thirteen at the time and was seeing his father for the first time in over a year. Feeling brave after having basically run the nation for the past three years, he decided to confront his father about his search for the Avatar.

His father did not get angry over his son's outburst. This might have been the first and only time he actually acted like a dad to Azulon. He bent down next to his son before putting his hands over his shoulders. _"Son, there will come a time when people doubt what you are doing. They will whisper behind your back, question your every order, and you'll begin watching every dark corner for fear of being stabbed in plain sight. And in that moment, I want you to remember this, you will continue to do what you know is right because it is the only way you will have ever known."_

Azulon promised himself when he first became Fire Lord that there would be a blizzard in Caldera City before he took his father's advice. He bitterly thought that he should dress warmly tomorrow before calling Kyori back into his office.

* * *

Two weeks later Azulon saw it fit to personally see the expedition off. Ten new Shahee Frigates had just been built recently so it was easy enough to spare one from the front lines. He had offered Kyori his pick of any man from any fleet to be a part of his crew, but Kyori had refused.

He said he wanted nothing but fresh recruits, lest the voyage be cursed by the cynicism of hardened sailors. Azulon couldn't help but feel sorry over what the young men were getting into.

As their ship passed beyond the horizon to the west, Azulon spared a small smile. Although he knew the plan was crazy, Kyori had never let him down. He trusted his friend.

Kyori and the rest of his crew were never heard from again.

* * *

AN: So I know I promised this chapter to be a continuation of the previous one but I couldn't get this idea out of my head. Next time we will return to Jeong Jeong and Azulon though, I promise.

I had a lot of fun writing this one and I hope it shows. The whole idea of it came from the fact that everyone fighting the 100 year war seems to ignore that the Avatar world is a globe (If you don't believe me then watch Legend of Korra, they show the Avatar world as a globe in one episode, just can't remember which). Kyori wasn't kidding when he said the Forgotten Sea was never remembered. That is not to say that I believe that there is a straight shot from the western shores of the Fire Nation to the eastern shores of the Earth Kingdom, but that is a story for another time.

Word Origins/Pronunciation:

Kyori (Kee-or-ee): Adapted from the Japanese word for madness.

Shahee: Adapted from the Hindi/Urdu word for imperial. (Thanks to noellerose for helping me out with this one)


	10. The Scowl

**The Scowl**

 _60 AG, Southern Earth Kingdom_

They had been hiking through the heavily vegetated island for almost two days now. Sleeping and eating was kept to an absolute minimum considering they hadn't been able to recover any supplies from the ship.

Jeong Jeong had spotted a small fishing village within an hour when they first arrived on the island. The village, although Azulon struggled to even award it that moniker, was situated at the base of the Spira Mountains. The long shadows of the nearby peaks made the tiny village almost impossible to spot at first.

They had to move on from the village quickly though. It harbored no boats large enough to cross the sea and both men doubted that any merchant vessels would bother with such an insignificant gathering of huts. Not to mention they were still too close to where they had been ambushed by the Water Tribesmen to stop for long.

That village was the last bit of civilization they would see for another two days. Finally, on their third morning, they stumbled through the underbrush and were blessed with the sounds of shouts and laughter filling the air. They cautiously poked their heads through a bush to see a tavern at the edge of a clearing, situated just a few hundred feet from the shore.

Jeong Jeong had immediately volunteered to go in the tavern on Azulon's behalf. Azulon had objected at first, thinking that the man was simple groveling to get on his good side. Jeong Jeong looked at him curiously before awkwardly stammering out that Azulon's face might be slightly more recognizable than his had quietly accepted his proposal after that.

It was in his second campaign in the Northern Earth Kingdom when he first saw the posters. They had been staying in an abandoned town just a few miles north of Taku. After nearly two weeks of nonstop marching broken up by the occasional fight, his men and him had grown exhausted.

In a fit of frustration over a lack of progress, Azulon had given up on sleep one night to meander about the small town. Plastered all throughout the town were posters depicting a visage that looked strangely like his own. It wasn't until he picked up one of the posters that he saw behind the ugly scowl, and he could finally recognize his own face. The words beneath the poster were no less flattering.

 _"Azulon- A man so vile his own countrymen recoil at the sight of him. A child-slaying, widow making coward who lazes upon a throne made of the skulls of those who dare oppose him. He is a monster that crawled from the forges of Hell to bring death to this world."_

He had been feared everywhere he went since that day nearly thirty years ago. Conquered Earth Kingdom villagers were known to throw themselves from the nearest cliff when they heard he would be visiting their towns, rather than face the man who would no doubt subjugate them to his blood-soaked empire.

Azulon absentmindedly thought back to those initial posters as he waited for Jeong Jeong to return. That scowl haunted his dreams for nearly a decade, while his men all loved the posters. The idea that their Fire Lord was seen as a death bringing devil was seen as a great accomplishment by them. Azulon's face did half the conquering for them.

He waited for over two hours before finally his demons quieted, and he realized with a start that Jeong Jeong was supposed to report back over an hour ago.

It didn't take much of a military genius to guess what had happened to the other man. Azulon meditated for a brief few minutes, attempting to calm his inner fire before what was sure to be a battle.

He entered the clearing that held the tavern; his head held high and his hands tucked between his sleeves. His face betrayed no emotion as he felt the gaze of nearly thirty men all focus on him.

They had clearly been expecting him.

Jeong Jeong was tied to a post, beaten into unconsciousness. Azulon had to squint his eyes to see that the man was in fact, still breathing. Both Jeong Jeong's eyes had been swollen shut and blood seeped into his very tattered shirt.

"I am Fire Lord Azulon, Guardian of the Caldera, Destroyer of Taku, Son of Agni." The men in the clearing made no move towards him. Everyone there knew just how unnecessary an introduction was. "You will release Lieutenant Jeong Jeong and provide him with medical assistance until which point I deem no longer needed. You will also provide us with safe passage aboard one of the ships harbored nearby to the nearest Fire Nation colony."

It was a man standing close to Jeong Jeong who finally approached Azulon. Azulon had to bite back the gag over the man's grotesque odor. Clearly, he was not a man taking advantage of the bath house located behind the tavern.

"You don't seem to get it." He gestured back to Jeong Jeong with the knife in his right hand. "We was going to torture that Fire Nation lizard-rat just for the fun the of it." He turned back to Azulon and stuck the tip of the knife a mere few inches from his throat. "Now, we get to gut the King of all you Fire Nation scum."

Azulon closed his eyes briefly before placing his hand atop the man's wrist and lowering the knife. "I won't give my demands a second time."

The man shot forward, anger fueled his attack as he brought down the dagger towards Azulon's chest. Azulon's palm shot out imperceptibly fast. The flames that erupted from it barely knew life before engulfing the man from head to toe. Azulon pinched his nose shut as the stench of burning flesh filled the air. The man's screeches could be heard for miles as he scrambled for a few feet before collapsing in a burning heap.

The crackling of fire ceased soon enough, and the clearing stayed quiet for a few moments afterwards. Azulon quickly grew impatient before making his way towards the still tied up Jeong Jeong, who had been awoken by the dying man's screams. His swollen eyes widened as much as they could upon the sight of his Fire Lord standing just ten yards from him.

One of the men guarding Jeong Jeong finally awoke from his stupor and shoved his knife up against Jeong Jeong's throat. The other man assigned to guard him had dropped his spear and was now backed up against the tavern's front wall, shaking with what Azulon knew all too well as fear.

Azulon raised an eyebrow in questioning over the threat being made against his comrade. The other man raised his other fist to help steady his suddenly shaking hand as he pressed the dagger in enough to draw out a droplet of blood.

Azulon moved his right arm in a semi-circle before pointing at the man with his index and middle finger extended. The cold shiver ran through his body in an instant before lightning shot from his finger tips and hit the man dead on in the chest.

The man could barely gasp before he was on the floor, involuntarily convulsing as the electricity caused his muscles to contract and spasm. He was writhing in the dirt for another few seconds before his life ended.

It happened quickly after that.

The twenty-five men that hadn't been killed or abandoned their weapons all charged at the source of their nightmares. An armament of weaponry was split among them as their battle cries echoed into the early morning air.

Azulon wasted no time. A circle of fire sprung up around him and instantly grew into twenty-foot walls. Before any of the men could even hope to run for cover, the flames moved outwards. Their battle cry morphed into cries of agony and suffering as they were lost in the flames. The fire spread only a few feet past the wave of men, enough to catch a few trees and the tavern on fire though.

Azulon crinkled his nose in dissatisfaction. He muttered something about having bad restraint before he closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling out for the flames before extinguishing them as he breathed back in and opened his eyes. The tavern had gained a nasty looking scar across one of its walls, but it was no worse for wear. The trees had made off even better, with only a select few branches being destroyed.

With no more obstacles in his path, he finished his walk to Jeong Jeong and the still cowering man. Although Jeong Jeong's swollen face could hardly give off much emotion, Azulon could swear he was wearing that same of expression fear that was painted clearly across the shaking man's face.

Azulon did not dwell on this for long before shaking the cowering man's shoulders. He gave a yelp of terror and attempted to flee, but Azulon gripped the back of his shirt and threw him back to the ground. "Can you organize a voyage to the nearest Fire Nation colony?"

The man gave a small nod, his breathing far too shallow to even attempt to speak.

Azulon shooed him away to prepare for their journey before making to untie Jeong Jeong. He convinced himself that the young man kept his eyes downcast due to the swelling, although he knew he was only lying to himself.

They left aboard the sturdiest ship they could find. It was crewed by eight of the most terrified sailors there ever were. They tended to Jeong Jeong's injuries and prepared food without a word of request from either Fire Nation passenger.

The voyage to the colony of Sonsu took two weeks. None of the Earth Kingdom men spoke to Azulon. Neither did Jeong Jeong.

Azulon lied to himself again, trying to believe that it was his injuries that kept him below deck the entire time.

The scowl returned to his dreams.

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading the second part of where we left off in chapter 8. Hope you enjoyed.

Word Origin:

1) Spira: Swedish word for spire. Although it can also mean scepter, steeple, or a mace.

2) Sonsu: Adapted from the Turkish word for eternal.


	11. All I Never Wanted

**All I Never Wanted**

 _63 AG_

The icy mist slapped across his face again and again as the ship bobbed against the waves. He hopelessly licked at his lips, the salty air keeping them in a permanently chapped state. The ocean seemed determined to keep him from achieving anything close to a meditative state.

Azulon blew a bit of smoke from between his lips as another wave forced his eyes closed. He turned away from the bow of the ship, finally admitting defeat as yet another wave soaked through the back of his robes.

"What are you doing up here?" The voice could barely be heard from the door that led below deck.

Ilah wrapped her cloak tighter around her before joining her husband. Azulon gave a small smile before pulling her close under one arm, using his bending to keep both of them warm. "I was just thinking."

"You? Thinking? How unheard of." She stifled a small laugh.

He ignored her sarcasm, the topic on his mind weighing far too heavy for him to process any playful banter. "I don't want to lose him, Ilah."

She turned swiftly in his grasp and grabbed hold of his chin to force his gaze to meet hers. "You mustn't think that way. Iroh is a determined young man. You should be glad he wants to find his own way in the world."

Azulon puffed out his lower lip. "Going to fight in this war is hardly what I would call finding one's place in the world."

Ilah stayed silent for a few moments. The war was always a sore spot with Azulon and she had to choose her words very carefully. "Seeing the Crown Prince fighting will boost troop morale."

He hugged her tightly with both his arms in one swift motion before lowering his voice to a whisper. "I could never forgive myself if something happened to him."

Another wave broke over the top of the railing, but nothing could break the look they were sharing. "You can't protect him forever." Ilah said softly as she laid her head against his chest.

"It is my fault he must fight at all!" He roared before separating from her and grasping the front railing. "I should have ended this war long ago."

Ilah made no move towards him, rather she played with the sleeve of her robes before responding. "You have done all you could to make that happen."

"All I could." He huffed out angrily. "The one constant in my life has been this war. At times it feels as if I am linked to it. As if I must die for it to finally end."

She moved to his side and placed her hand upon his. "It is not your fault Azulon. Your father-"

"Don't." He cut her off immediately. Ilah knew she was pressing her luck by bringing up Sozin. The pair stood quietly for several minutes before Azulon spoke once more. "I always told myself that I would do better than my father."

Ilah held her tongue, knowing just how rare it was for her husband to speak about his father in any capacity. Instead, she just huddled closer to him and waited, hoping he would continue.

It would take another few silent moments before he would speak again. "Every day I fear that I have done worse than even him. I promised myself… I promised you… the day that Iroh was born that I would end this war. I promised he would never see combat, he would not have to fight in Sozin's war."

"Oh Azulon…" She rubbed circles into his back. "You already have succeeded as a father. You have something that Sozin never had."

Azulon looked at her with his brow furrowed. Ilah bit back a huge grin as she knew it was not often her husband did not have all the answers. She reached up to stroke his cheek before finishing the thought. "The love and admiration of two sons."

He didn't respond. His lips had grown too busy as he leant into a passionate kiss with his wife. They broke apart in a state of bliss, both smiling at each other.

"Now put those thoughts behind you." Ilah spoke as she rubbed his hands tenderly. "Let's enjoy our vacation."

* * *

Their vacation began quite favorably despite the rough waves reaching Ember Island. Azulon had attempted to convince his wife to visit anywhere except here, but she was firm. They hadn't visited the island since the first few years of their marriage and Ilah loved the pristine beaches. Azulon didn't exactly hate Ember Island, more so just some people who took up residence here.

One of those residents happened to the newly appointed War Minister, who was eager to be officially anointed by Azulon. When Ilah pointed out the ability to kill two birds with one fireball, his logical half easily overrode his previous objections.

The locals had prepared a huge feast in honor of the royal family's arrival. They were entertained by the local theatre group, whose performance Azulon found to be quite lacking. Ilah and Iroh obviously found them quite entertaining, judging by their silent snickering growing into unbridled laughter as the play went on. Of course, it wasn't until afterwards that they had learned the play was meant to be a drama. Ozai only lasted through the opening act before retiring to their newly renovated vacation house on the far side of the island.

The morning after the feast, Azulon woke both his sons an hour before dawn for firebending practice. His eagerness in being able to go through training with them for the first time in months had kept him up nearly the entire night.

The sun was now shining brightly down upon them and they showed no sign of stopping. Azulon wiped his brow clean of sweat before sitting on the edge of the fountain in the spacious courtyard. He splashed some water from it onto his face before beckoning his two sons to join him.

"Iroh, your progression over the past year is nothing short of incredible. I have no doubt you will be a master firebender before the year's end." He said as he patted his eldest son on the shoulder and Iroh gave a smile over the compliment.

"What about me father?" Ozai asked quickly as he hopped off the fountain and stood in front of Azulon, his eyes pleading for attention.

"Patience, young one. I was just getting to you." He ruffled a hand through Ozai's hair before pulling the boy up to his lap. Ozai grumbled something incoherent before settling in. Azulon began again, "Your inner fire is so strong. I can feel it burning with every strike you make." Ozai grinned up at his father, some baby teeth holes accentuating his youthful features. "But I must tell you that strength is not everything."

Ozai's face fell as he jumped to the ground, his eyebrows stitched together in a thin line. "What do you mean? All my instructors have told me that firebending is all about the strength we put behind our blasts." He whined to his father.

Azulon gave a half frown before explaining, "Yes, that is true. It is important that our passion fuels our attacks but attacking is only half the equation while engaging an enemy. Being able to conserve your energy and switch between offense and defense is what truly separates the great firebenders from the legendary ones."

"But if I can beat my opponent quickly then I don't have to worry about defense." Ozai pointed out as if it were the simplest solution in the world.

"True, but a skilled opponent could outlast your onslaught of attacks. Earthbenders are sturdy and rigid. Their grounded stance provides them enough defense to tire you. Waterbenders are even more dangerous. If one catches you off guard and are surrounded by their element, your fire will do nothing but dissipate to steam. Not only that, but even without lakes and rivers they are exceptionally crafty and can switch between defense and offense without you ever taking notice. Finally, airbenders are too agile and will simply dodge out of harm's way of your fire. They will only strike when you are too exhausted to even stand." Azulon finished his hastily thrown together speech, hopeful his son would see the error in his ways.

Ozai scratched at his head. "But all the airbenders are gone. And firebending isn't that weak. I know that you could easily get past the defenses of any other bender."

Azulon opened his mouth to form a retort, but Iroh interjected more quickly. "You miss the point of father's lesson, Ozai. Fire is strength incarnate." He lit a small flame in his palm before continuing. "But without solid protection, it can easily be snuffed out." He held his palm up higher and the slight ocean breeze blew out the flame. Iroh smiled at his brother before he lit another flame in his palm and used his other hand to guard against the wind. "You must be willing to adapt to any situation. Shooting powerful blasts of fire will not always be the right answer."

Azulon stood up and patted Iroh on the shoulder once more. "Well said, son. Do you understand now Ozai?"

Ozai scrunched his features together, truly trying in earnest to understand. "I think so."

Azulon knelt next to his son and placed both his hands on his shoulders. "You will in time. Now, take a break. I only wish for you to observe this next lesson."

He obeyed his father and sat back on the fountain's edge as Azulon and Iroh went back to the center of the courtyard.

"Lightning is the most advanced form of firebending there is. And is the most dangerous form to both its target as well as its user." Azulon spoke to Ozai directly as both he and Iroh steadied their breathing. "You do not wield it as you do flames, but your body is merely a conduit for the lightning to run through."

He took one last breath before beginning the heavily practiced motions. "It begins with a deep breath." He spoke before his chest relaxed as he took the motions extremely slowly, making sure Ozai could understand all of them. "The energy may start in different areas depending on who is attempting to separate them. For me, it begins as a cold shiver at the base of my spine."

Iroh rubbed at his flat stomach before taking his final deep breath. "For me, I feel a churning in my stomach." His voice was light, but his eyes were dead set in concentration.

Azulon began rotating both his arms before he went on. "You must separate the positive and negative energy almost immediately after it forms, otherwise it will consume you. The separated energies run up my back before rejoining just below my throat. Then you must swiftly guide it out through your arms and into the air." The ocean air grew thick with static as his arms finished their rotation and Azulon's arms extended skywards in a flash, two twin arcs of lighting darting out into the otherwise calm sky.

Iroh's arm movements did not mimic his father's. Rather, his own unique style saw his arms moving across and behind his body with sparks of electricity eagerly jumping from his fingers. His motion stopped with him shooting only his left hand forward as a tremendous bolt of lightning once again cut through the cloudless sky.

Ozai's mouth was agape the entire time. He had seen lighting generation only once before when his father had used in an Agni Kai some noble had challenged him to, but that bolt could not have held even a tenth of the power behind this demonstration. "I wanna try." He shot up with another toothy grin plastered across his face.

"No." Azulon responded almost immediately. "Iroh only began practicing with lightning a year ago. It is too dangerous for someone of your youth, Ozai."

"That's not fair!" Ozai slammed his foot down petulantly. "My teachers all say that I am well beyond that of the basic and intermediate forms. I want a challenge!"

"Ozai…" Iroh began quietly as he approached his brother, but Azulon shot out an arm to stop him.

"Very well. Begin then." Azulon's tone held no humor, it was clear his request was serious.

Ozai matched that same intensity as he stood a few feet in front of them and began his own deep breathing. His excitement was evident in his breath though, as his breathing only reached the bottom of his chest, rather than extending all through his body. He began his motions too quickly, never fully allowing the energy to form. His arms mimicked his father's as he attempted two separate bolts on his first attempt, a very foolish endeavor.

The attempt ended as both Iroh and Azulon knew it would. As Ozai's fingers extended outwards, the energy found no clear path and instead exploded in the young boy's face. The blast was weak though and only blew him back on his rear.

Iroh's face was filled with concern as he rushed to help his brother up. Azulon's face was still unreadable. Ozai blinked back tears before shoving Iroh off of him and taking off running into the beach house.

"Father-" Iroh spoke cautiously but he was cut off as Azulon shot his palm upward in a gesture to hold his tongue.

"He must learn his limits, Prince Iroh. Just as I learned mine and you will learn yours." His tone made it clear this was not open for discussion. "Wash yourself, we are meeting with the new War Minister tonight."

* * *

AN: Thanks for reading as always. Evidently, this is going to be another multi-part segment of the story. I was going to post it all in one go, but realized it was getting a little long and didn't want to edit it down since there will be a lot happening with this segment.

I just want to touch on something I am sure you will be curious about and that being Ozai's behavior in this chapter. I know that he isn't exactly kicking puppies in this chapter, but I promise I am not trying to write him out to be a sympathetic character. I just dislike how pure evil he was in the show with no clear motive or reason as to why. Like sure he was Fire Nation, but that shouldn't make him automatically evil. I think a lot of his evilness comes from his insecurities when being measured up to both his father and brother, which would no doubt happen constantly after he became Fire Lord. I want his descent to be a bit more realistic, with him actually really adoring both Iroh and Azulon before that adoration turns into outright jealousy. That is not to say this story is going to entirely cover his descent, but rather just show some key events that changed his relationship with Azulon from loving to hating. Also keep in mind that he is only 10 in this chapter.

The llghtning generation bit is actually something I thought about after watching just how differently everyone generates lightning in the show. Ozai, Iroh, and Azula all have very different forms when shooting lightning. So with an ability so rare and volatile, I figure there is no conventional or "right" way to do it.

As always feel free to disagree. The next chapter should be out pretty soon and will be covering more from their Ember Island vacation.


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